Kansas guard Ben McLemore (23) dunks the ball against Chattanooga on Nov. 15, 2012. McLemore is projected to be one of the top picks in the June 27 NBA draft. / John Rieger, USA TODAY Sports

by Eric Prisbell, USA TODAY Sports

by Eric Prisbell, USA TODAY Sports

Ben McLemore said Friday he has had a relationship with Rodney Blackstock, a middle man who courted the Kansas standout on behalf of sports agents and financial advisers, since January.

"Rodney Blackstock has been great," McLemore said in Chicago at the NBA Pre-Draft Combine. "Since Day One, since I met him, we have got that bond and communicating very well. And that's why I chose him to help me with this process."

On May 4, USA TODAY Sports reported that Blackstock received complimentary admission as McLemore's guest to Jayhawks home games on Feb. 2, 11 and March 4. Asked Friday by Derek Page of Hoopsworld why he wanted Blackstock at his games as a guest, McLemore said: "Just because, you know, it was a friend, I just wanted him to see me play, see, you know, the atmosphere there at Kansas, and just go to a game."

McLemore's former AAU coach Darius Cobb told USA TODAY Sports in the May 4 story that he accepted two cash payments of $5,000 during the regular season from Blackstock, the founder and CEO of Hooplife Academy, a sports mentoring organization based in Greensboro, N.C.

McLemore said that he was not aware that Cobb accepted money from Blackstock. And McLemore said he never accepted money, gifts or trips from Blackstock. Cobb said McLemore knew "little to none" about Blackstock's financial involvement in the player's life, nor did McLemore know that Cobb had accepted $10,000 from Blackstock.

McLemore also said Friday he and Blackstock traveled to Los Angeles for meetings with individuals who could help McLemore as he pursued a professional career. McLemore said he paid for the trip himself.

McLemore said the purpose of the trip was to "just go meet with people. You know at the time I needed to meet with people, my mom wanted me to meet with people, and that's what happened â?¦ I am pretty sure I paid for the trip. I paid for the trip. So it came out of my pockets and you know, the whole thing, I think, you know, like I said, the whole Darius Cobb, the AAU coach, it's just basically a personal attack on Rodney, so I will leave it at that."

Cobb also said he received three all-expense paid trips to Los Angeles â?? and that a cousin of McLemore's, Richard Boyd, accompanied him on two of them â?? for meetings in January and February with sports agents and financial advisers hoping to represent McLemore if he left for the NBA. Cobb provided travel itineraries and photos taken of he and Boyd on the trips. Boyd denied making the trips with Cobb.

McLemore declared for the NBA draft on April 9. He scored a team-high 15.9 points per game at Kansas this season and is projected to be picked early in the June 27 NBA draft, perhaps first overall.

McLemore said Cobb is trying to personally attack Blackstock because "the things he (Cobb) was just doing was not trying to help me, was not trying to help benefit my family ... Rodney Blackstock was doing those things â?¦

"As you can see now, the process is going great. He (Blackstock) helped me a lot, and you know, like I said, I've been through a lot so far and he been there trying to help me, you know, get through this process."

Contributing: Derek Page of Hoopsworld.

Eric Prisbell, a national college basketball reporter for USA TODAY Sports, is on Twitter @EricPrisbell.